Mortal Deception
by turtlequeen2
Summary: AR: Even an ordinary wish could bring about dire consequences. When the Shikon Jewel has their way with them, they'll find out the hard way that every wish has a price. Inuyasha/Kikyou
1. Chapter 1: The End of Innocence

**Mortal Deception**

Disclaimer:

Yes, I'm starting another fic with another pairing… Don't kill me! Me and TrueWielderofTessaiga co-created this plot and I'm writing it out on my own. So I guess it's still technically my plot for the most part…but I'll give him credit for helping and promoting it!

Please note that this plot is an ALTERNATE REALITY fic. That means that I'm going to be screwing with the canon setting a little bit. Events such as Naraku's birth happen out of the original order and the original plans he had to make Inuyasha and Kikyou betray each other never happen.

I do not own Inuyasha; all rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The End of Innocence<strong>

Breathe.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Exhaustion.

Those were the only things running through the mind of the young miko who had recently finished battling a large group of youkai that tried to destroy her village. She clutched her bow with a bloodied hand, holding it so hard that the wood splintered into her palm and caused a gash to form.

"Kikyou! Are you alright?" The concerned voice rang through her ears over the sound of the pouring rain.

The young woman turned around to look at the hanyou who rushed to her side. It was hard to even stand upright. That battle was a close call. Too close.

She took a step forward but immediately felt her exhaustion take over. The dizziness set in, causing her to stagger. She did well to ignore the rain pattering down her dirtied face. All around her, the ground was soaked with blood and laid damp with the corpses of various youkai, looking like an impromptu graveyard. "I-I'm fine, Inuyasha…" she murmured before nearly falling forward completely, still not letting go of her bow.

Inuyasha panicked, his amber-colored eyes widening out of fear for the miko. He rushed forward to catch her in his arms before her face could hit the ground. He braced her with both of his arms so that her face ended up against his chest. "Kikyou!" he cried out again.

Kikyou glanced up at his face, noticing in their small moment, how the hanyou's silver-white forelocks clung so close to his face almost as if to take refuge from the weather. She could see it in his eyes. Even though he was physically stronger than her, he was also very tired. "Inuyasha… Forgive me," she mumbled quietly, reaching her free hand up to briefly touch his bruised face. Her fingertips reached over his skin in so tentative a manner, it was almost as if she was attempting to touch a fragile flower in mid-bloom.

He blinked down at her, clearly confused. However, before they could talk any further, a villager cried out, causing for them to break apart.

"What is it, Soichiro-san?" Kikyou asked, using her bow as support.

"I-It's your sister, Kaede-sama!" the middle-aged man shouted. "She's been wounded!"

Immediately, she was smacked back into her present time. Kikyou's eyes widened, no longer thinking of herself. "Take me to her!" she ordered in a shaken voice.

Once Inuyasha and Kikyou managed to make it to Kaede's side, the two stood frozen in horror.

The poor girl was crouched forward on her knees, holding her hand over her right eye and facing towards the ground. Her uncovered eye flashed with pain as liquid crimson oozed out over her trembling hand and dripped down over her arm and orange kimono.

Kikyou quickly dropped her bow and quiver of arrows, falling to her knees beside Kaede. "Kaede! What happened to your eye?" she demanded, her voice continuing to quake. Her expression showed pain and concern; a far cry from her usual countenance of calm.

Kaede tilted her head up towards Kikyou when she felt her older sister's hands on her shoulders. "K-Kikyou-onee-sama…" she murmured weakly, trying not to cry. "Y-you shot a y-youkai and it purified… I-it went into my eye…" she explained while tears leaked out of her good eye and mixed with the rain. "I-I can't see out of it!"

The miko choked down a breath, feeling as if someone had punched her in her gut. Looking back at Inuyasha, her face paled considerably. She knew it immediately. It was her own fault that Kaede was hurt. She had been too careless. "I-Inuyasha! Please take Kaede into the hut!"

The hanyou nodded, not being the one to argue during times of distress. Being careful not to cause her more pain, Inuyasha carefully picked Kaede up into his arms and walked her back to the hut.

Kikyou watched them leave, having some of her villagers help her to her feet. Once she was standing and had her weapons about her, she grit her teeth. It was her own weakness that caused this to happen! Her hand tightened around her bow again. Looking around her, she saw how concerned her villagers were for her health. She hated to cause them distress. "I'll be fine," she assured them, forcing herself to stand upright and take a few steps forward.

She did not want to rely on the villagers to lead her back to the hut. It was her own responsibility to walk on her own. She had done fine with that up until this moment. Showing weakness at this crucial moment would cause for her downfall.

After making her way back to the hut, walking upright and ignoring the pain that coursed through her body, she knelt down beside her sister. "We must stop this bleeding…" she remarked in a softened voice. Reaching to the side of her, she pulled out herbs and cloth used to dress injuries.

Glancing back, she noticed how silent Inuyasha had become. "Could you please go fetch me some water?" Her tone was nearly as timid as a small child's.

"Yeah… sure…" he responded, sounding unsure of what else to say. Grabbing a large pan container, he ran out of the hut.

Once he was out of sight, Kikyou took a piece of cloth to Kaede's eye in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Please forgive me, Kaede…" she murmured almost in a whisper. "I wasn't careful enough…"

Kaede fought off her pain, shaking her head slowly and cautiously so as not to aggravate her wound. "Y-you were o-only…t-trying to protect us… I-It's n-not your fault…" she forced out with great difficulty.

Though she knew that Kaede was only trying to comfort her, Kikyou felt her hands clench into fists at her sides. "I do not want to endanger you or anyone else in this village anymore!" she declared in a louder voice. She already knew that if it hadn't been for Inuyasha, she would have failed in her duties long ago. The longer she acted as a protector, the more youkai would come to challenge her. And with each time, the youkai would grow stronger.

If only…

If only she could just stop fighting forever.

The young woman shook her head, fighting back the urge to give out a bitter laugh. That was such an unbelievable fantasy. She was fated to protect that cursed Shikon no Tama. There was no way out of that contract. She was the only one powerful enough to do so. So long as she lived, she had to guard the Jewel with her life. Anyone who was involved in her life would only get sucked into the fighting. Inuyasha was no exception to this.

"K-Kikyou-onee-sama…" Kaede's voice managed out, breaking the woman out of her dark thoughts.

Inuyasha had since returned with the water and slid it at Kikyou's side.

Kikyou blinked and numbly grabbed another cloth in order to soak it in water. "Thank you, Inuyasha," she murmured, not giving away any of the emotions that were trailing through her mind at the moment. She removed the other cloth that was already beginning to become painted red from the blood and began to clean up Kaede's wound.

After the young woman managed to apply the herbs and wrap up Kaede's eye, Kikyou glanced back at the hanyou once again. It was only then that she noticed how badly bruised and ragged Inuyasha appeared. Had he always looked so tired after battle? Was he always covered in so much blood? She was the miko who was fated to walk the path of carnage. Since when had the hanyou become dragged into this curse along with her?

And yet, the only thing she could muster out loud was, "Your wounds… Let me take care of them…"

"Keh!" the hanyou snorted out, crossing his arms. "I'll be fine! I'm not human, remember?" He always reminded her of that fact each time he unwillingly showed her a weak side of himself. "I'll be fine in a day." He turned his eyes towards Kaede. "Worry more about that brat."

Kaede glanced towards her sister. "W-what about your own wounds, onee-sama?" she murmured.

Inuyasha's gaze refocused on Kikyou upon hearing those words. "How badly hurt are you?" he asked, concern clearly being reflected in his eyes. His arms unfolded as he moved towards her.

"I-I'll be fine… It's nothing I haven't dealt with before," Kikyou assured them both. She didn't want either of them being concerned over her health. They both had more than enough troubles to deal with.

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, lowering himself on his hunches and reaching out to grab onto Kikyou's right wrist.

Immediately, the young woman retracted her hand, her face paling. She used her other hand to hold onto the wrist, rubbing the tender area. She hadn't honestly noticed how badly her body was screaming out in pain until that one touch.

The hanyou was quick to notice her reaction, growling out of annoyance. "You should maybe worry more about yourself than me, you know," he pointed out.

The young miko bit back a curse. She made herself look stupid in front of Inuyasha again. "I suppose I should…" she agreed reluctantly. Grabbing a few pieces of bandage wrappings, she dressed her own wrist and moved to lean against her make-shift thatched bedding. "I just need to rest…"

"Then sleep," Inuyasha urged in a more hushed tone. "Both of you." He stood up and headed for the hut flap. "I'll keep watch outside so you won't have to worry about being attacked during the night."

Kikyou was in no position to argue. "…Thank you, Inuyasha…" she replied.

"Keh! Just go to sleep!" he snorted before walking outside.

Even though he sounded annoyed with her, she knew better. She knew him long enough to know when his words were used as a shield for emotional concealment. As soon as he gone, she pulled herself up onto the bed and allowed sleep to consume her.

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><p>The thoughts that Kikyou begun to think the night before stayed with her all through the morning she woke up. At dawn, she went to pick medicinal herbs for Kaede's wound. While doing so, she was plagued with thoughts of guilt. Because of her duties as the Shikon no Miko, she endangered her entire village and caused her sister to go blind in one eye.<p>

If the Shikon no Tama was powerful enough to grant any wish, was there some way she could wish for peace? Would the Jewel disappear if the wish she made upon it was pure and without selfish taint?

She then thought about Inuyasha. She knew that the hanyou was much like herself. He fought all his life in order to survive. Any type of weakness he showed would cost him his life. If he was all one species and not hanyou, wouldn't his life be easier to live? She didn't know if he still wished to become a full-blooded youkai, but what if he were to become the opposite? If he was a full human, he wouldn't have to worry about humans fearing him and he could live in peace in a human village. He could _belong_.

There was no question that she already accepted him as a hanyou. The moment she asked for his name, she accepted him as someone who had just as much potential living in society as she did. However, if the wish she asked of the Jewel was for him instead of for herself, would the wish be selfless? It would most likely eradicate the Shikon no Tama from existence. And both of them could live ordinary lives. Isn't that what both of them wanted in the end?

After she finished picking the herbs, she walked back to the hut and took care of Kaede's wound. She cleaned up Kaede's face, administered the medicine, and changed the dressings around her eye. "How are you feeling today, Kaede?" she questioned as she stood up.

The young girl blinked up at her sister. "Better… It still hurts," she murmured, but managed a small smile. "Thank you for taking care of me, onee-sama."

Kikyou nodded. "I'm glad to hear that," she replied quietly, blinking away the sadness that threatened to show in her eyes. "I'm going to go speak with Inuyasha about something… I'll be sure to bring you back some water later, okay?" she added, returning her sister's smile with one of her own.

"Thank you," the young girl could only reply before Kikyou left.

The miko let out a large sigh and walked out towards the river bank with her bow in hand and quiver of arrows around her back. She knew better than to ever go unarmed. She never knew when youkai would attack her. Taking a seat on the hillside, she dropped her weapons down beside her and looked towards the river.

As she predicted, Inuyasha soon dropped down beside her. "Hey, how's the kid?" he asked, glancing at her with rare concern showing on his face.

Kikyou nearly frowned, looking towards the river before turning to face the hanyou. "She's still resting… I don't know if she'll be able to ever use that eye again…" she admitted in a sad, hushed voice.

"…Damn…" was the only thing the hanyou could say.

"Inuyasha… thank you for what you did yesterday," she began. "I…"

He cut her off. "Keh! You don't have to thank me!" he interjected. "Though I guess if it wasn't for me, half of your village would be dead by now…"

Kikyou was wise to ignore his offhanded comment. She knew that he had a bad way with words at crucial times. She nodded her head slowly. "…Each time they come, they only grow stronger…"

"Well, I'm not letting anyone get their hands on the Shikon no Tama!" Inuyasha scoffed. He then rotated away from her, his voice growing quieter. "…I don't want to see you die anytime soon…"

The young miko felt herself smile. It was rare when the hanyou said anything sweet. She would be lying if she believed that she hated such times. "I know you don't, Inuyasha… Thank you."

Inuyasha kept his face turned away from hers until his obvious blush could go away from his cheeks. "...What did you mean last night, when you asked me to forgive you?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he became serious. By the weight of his expression, Kikyou could tell that he had been thinking about it for a while.

"…I…" Kikyou began, uncertain of where to start. There were many reasons why she said that to him. She felt her hands clench into fists at her sides, digging into the grass. "…I suppose I began to feel guilty for dragging you into my battles."

The hanyou snorted again. "Is that it?" He relaxed his position more, easing off of his hunches and sitting cross legged. "I never had any problems with fighting. I've been doing it all my life so there's no reason to worry about me." His tone was matter-of-fact and blunt.

Kikyou almost frowned. There was no reason to keep her thoughts to herself anymore. She wanted to know his opinion on her theory. "Inuyasha… what if you could stop fighting? Stop fighting forever?"

" 'Forever'?" Inuyasha echoed, looking at her as if she had uttered the world's most difficult conundrum. He glanced down at the grass and fell silent for a while as if taking it into serious consideration. "What do you mean by that?" he finally asked after several long pauses.

"…I mean, if it were possible to stop fighting, would that make you happy?" she pressed, staring at him in earnest. "I think it's possible if we used the Shikon no Tama to make you human."

"Me…become _human_?" the hanyou responded, almost jerking back like she had shocked him.

Kikyou nodded. "If the Shikon no Tama fell into the hands of a youkai, its powers would undoubtedly increase…" Her hands moved onto her lap, fidgeting almost as if she were a nervous child. "…But if the Shikon no Tama were used to turn you into a human, the Jewel would be purified and would probably cease to exist."

Inuyasha sounded as if he were about to step into uncertain territory. "…But what would happen to you?" he questioned with concern lining his voice.

"I am she who guards the Jewel," the young woman murmured. She felt a smile form on her face. "Without it, I can live life as an ordinary woman." Once the words escaped her lips, Kikyou couldn't help but hope that he could understand her feelings.

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment longer. "You mean… we could both live in peace?" He appeared to be tossing the idea around in his head. It was almost like the idea of being a permanent full human was unfathomable to him.

"…I know it isn't something easy to ask of you," Kikyou murmured. "You'd make a very huge sacrifice…giving up your youkai blood." She shook her head and rose to her feet, beginning to suddenly feel bad for even telling him such things. Perhaps she spoke too soon? Yes, the Jewel would possibly disappear but at what cost? Inuyasha's body would change completely.

She bent down to pick up her weaponry and watched as he rose to his own feet. "I apologize, Inuyasha…" she said, sounding as if she were coming down from a euphoric state. "I must have sounded selfish…"

Before she could walk away, Inuyasha's hand reached out to grab her wrist, freezing her in place. His expression was very serious as he moved closer towards her body with his own. "…I'll consider it, okay?" he replied, sounding sincere. "…It is a lot for me to think over."

She could only numbly nod her head, genuinely surprised that he took it so well. "…Inuyasha…" she murmured.

He flashed a wry smirk. "I'll give you a reply in a few days, alright?" He let go of her wrist. "Meanwhile, try not to look so shocked. It doesn't look fitting on someone like you."

The miko quietly nodded her head again, feeling happy about this new development. Did this mean that both of them could live how they wanted to in the future?

She surely hoped so.

* * *

><p>After a week had passed, Kikyou fell back into her routine of taking care of Kaede, tending to the ill, and staying up until late hours of the night to maintain the Shikon no Tama's purity. All of the effort she put into keeping the Jewel safe became amplified in the hopes that Inuyasha might actually agree to what she asked of him. She knew it would take a while before the Jewel would be ready for such a risky wish. If she wished on Shikon no Tama while it was tainted, she knew that only bad things would come from it.<p>

It was midafternoon when Kikyou decided to take a break in order to play with the children in the village. She would often allow them to ask her questions like what herbs were best for what illness or what her favorite flowers were. Despite how much she had endured in life, she could never become hardened towards children. She always admired how innocent they were.

Soon enough, the young woman paused in her laughter, glancing up to notice Inuyasha watching her from a tree branch. "I don't see why you always insist on watching me like that," she teased, her eyes glimmering mischievously.

Inuyasha gave a snort, jumping down from the tree and hiding a blush that threatened to rise onto his cheekbones. "I-I'm not w-watching you like _anything_!" he insisted in an embarrassed stutter, but relented once she laughed again.

At once, the children began to crowd around him, tugging at his hakama and asking him an unending list of impossible questions. Could he let them touch his ears? Did he like Kikyou? Did he like the color red?

Kikyou smiled, finding herself amused at how easily irritated the hanyou could get when the children spoke to him. She could tell it was taking all of his effort not to snap at them. Deciding to be merciful, she reached forward and grabbed a hold of his hand. Looking down at the children, she suggested, "Why don't you go play somewhere else for now? I don't think Inuyasha's very willing to play today."

She chuckled when they whined and continued to insist they spent more time together. "I'll spend time with you all tomorrow. I promise," she added before seeing them finally relent and leave the two alone.

"…Damn brats…" Inuyasha huffed, but never once drew his hand away from Kikyou's.

She withheld a sigh, wishing that he could be more willing to spend time with the children who all adored him. "You really should be more patient with them, you know…" she advised before staring out towards the path they were on. "…Would you care for a walk?" she then questioned, knowing that he was still annoyed.

He shrugged. "If it'll keep me away from them," he replied. "I think one of them was close to pouncing on me just to touch my ears…" he added in a low grumble, flicking his silver-tipped dog ears for emphasis.

Their hands reluctantly released on each other as they began to walk towards a nearby lake.

Kikyou nearly felt tempted to touch the ears herself but used self-restraint. "Well, I couldn't blame them… Those ears don't particularly make you look intimidating."

"Are you trying to call me cute or something?" Inuyasha growled, almost sounding as if he were close to pouting. " 'Cuz I'm not cute!"

"And what if I were to insinuate that?" the miko questioned as they continued walking.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed, unable to say anything else to her words.

The pair fell silent until they came across a boat. It was a narrow wooden boat, only able to sit two to three people despite its long size. Kikyou gazed out across the calm waters and noticed the sun beginning to set. "…Do you think you'd mind a ride across the lake?" she then pressed with a raised eyebrow.

"…Is this another human's way of having fun or something?" Inuyasha questioned. "It doesn't seem that appealing." He frowned in disapproval.

"…Well, I was thinking more along the lines of relaxation," the miko explained in a more cheerful type of tone, approaching the side of the boat and pushing it more into the water. "It's something _you_ certainly don't do that often," she then pointed out.

"That's rich coming from _you_ of all people," he returned, but began to help her despite himself.

Once they were both inside of the boat, Inuyasha picked up the long paddle stick and began to row towards the center of the lake. As he rowed, they sat in silence. The further they were from the shore, the more relaxed Inuyasha seemed to become.

Kikyou noticed his eased expression once he stopped moving the boat and allowed them to sit in the middle of the lake. "It worked for you, did it not?" she remarked, her eyes reflecting amusement.

"Yeah, I guess…" Inuyasha admitted half-reluctantly. "I've never honestly been in a boat like this before…"

"You seemed able to row very well though…" the miko remarked.

The hanyou shrugged. "Well, the last time I was in any type of boat was when my mother was alive…" he explained. He nearly smirked at the memory. "I tried to row for her, but I was too small to overpower the currents of the water."

Kikyou smiled, thankful for what he had told her. He rarely ever spoke of his mother to her. She felt as if he trusted her more by telling such vulnerable sides of himself. "…I see," she mused. "My father taught me how to use a boat when he was still alive," she added, wanting to relate to him.

He fell silent, almost looking hesitant to speak. He then leaned forward slightly, his countenance growing serious. "…Kikyou, I've been thinking…" he began before stopping.

"About what?" she questioned, growing curious. A small part of her grew anxious though she didn't want to admit that out loud.

Inuyasha shook his head and sighed. "…I-it's nothing." He sounded disappointed in himself.

"Oh…I see…" Kikyou murmured, withholding a sigh of her own. Why did she suddenly feel so disappointed? Was she expecting him to say something grandiose to her?

The pair fell into an awkward silence. It was only moments later when Inuyasha asked, "Should I just move the boat towards the dock over there?" He pointed towards the area on the other side of the lake.

She nodded, fighting off her confusion with her own emotions. "Yes, I suppose that would be good..." Her voice was distant.

They settled into another awkward silence until they arrived at the dock. Inuyasha exited first before turning to help Kikyou out.

The young woman used her bow for added support so that she wouldn't trip and fall into the water. However, just as she turned to face the hanyou, she lost her footing on the wooden panels and tripped forward towards Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was quick to react, using the stick to act as a brace so that she wouldn't fall completely. "Kikyou…" he murmured, looking down at her and appearing concerned.

The miko raised her eyes towards his, allowing for a moment of silence to consume them. Then, before either of them knew it, the stick was dropped onto the dock as the hanyou pulled her close against him in a tight embrace. "I-Inuyasha…!" she almost gasped despite not resisting him in any way.

Inuyasha's arms tightened around her body, ignoring the rowing paddle. "…Kikyou, I've made my decision," he admitted, sounding as if he had wanted to say such words for a while. "I want to become human."

Kikyou couldn't help herself. Her eyes widened. Did he really want this? It was enough to make her heart begin beating hard against her chest.

"…I have no doubts in my mind," he continued. His voice was strong, showing that he was certain of his words. "I want to become human so you won't have to fight anymore…" He then looked hopeful. "And then maybe… you and I could live…"

The miko smiled, cutting him off. "Inuyasha, you've said enough," she replied, ignoring her thundering heart as she leaned up to press her lips against his. She had never felt so happy in her life when he began to return the kiss and tighten his embrace even more around her almost as if he never wanted to let her go. She knew in this moment, how much she had grown to love this man.

However, unbeknownst by the couple, a spider's shadow briefly fell upon them before beginning to crawl fast into the forest.

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><p>Inside of a dark cave off of the outskirts of a village rested the bandit Onigumo. Unable to move, he was set on a green mat with bandages covering every part of his body save for his right eye and mouth. He felt like a prisoner inside of a coffin, just waiting for his inevitable death.<p>

The only thing that kept his amusement was talking with that ignorant maiden Kikyou and the spider youkai who liked to frequently appear to speak with him about the Shikon no Tama. Unable to sleep due to the scorching, continuing pain of his injuries, he stared up at the opening of the cave and gave a bitter groan. If only he could move again!

"Onigumo," a familiar dark voice echoed. Beside the bandit, the spider appeared again. "It seems that that miko has fallen in love with the hanyou."

The bandaged man felt immediate anger consume him for reasons he did not even understand. "She truly is an ignorant woman," he growled to himself.

"I overheard them talking and they wish to use the Jewel for themselves," the spider youkai continued. "You wish to take that woman for yourself, do you not?"

Onigumo's only visible eye narrowed. This could not be! He was the one who would possess Kikyou! Why would she lower herself to fall prey to a hanyou's touch? Did love really make someone as powerful as her so naïve?

"I can give you the mobility you desire, Onigumo," the youkai purred, slowly crawling over the bandit's side and moving to rest on the human's chest. "You'd have power you've never fathomed before…"

The murmurs through the bandit's head were like the temptations from Hell's very own demons. They were so warm and inviting. He was a bandit. Of course he wanted more power! "All I have to do is offer you my useless body?" he clarified. He let out a small, bitter laugh. "Your contract with me seems foolish since I'm only an immobilized human."

"Give us your soul and you will gain all that you desire," was the only reply that the man would get.

Onigumo looked towards the opening of the cave. He could no longer see the sky since the mouth was blocked off by a sudden swarm of youkai. He managed an amused smirk. "Fine!" he declared.

Staring into the eyes of what seemed to be hell itself, he declared, "Come and feast upon my flesh! I offer you my body in soul and in exchange, give me your mobility and strength!"

As soon as those words were uttered, the contract was sealed. Hordes of youkai poured into the mouth of the cave and began to absorb the tainted heart into themselves, conglomerating into one wicked being. Out of the old, burning flesh emerged a new menacing threat.

* * *

><p>The day had finally come. Soon after they shared their first kiss together, Inuyasha and Kikyou agreed to meet in front of the Goshinboku at the crack of dawn.<p>

However, due to staying up the entire night attempting to cleanse the Jewel, the poor miko overslept. Waking up in a panic, she quickly gathered her archery set. She ran over to the shrine that housed the Shikon no Tama and pulled it and the necklace it was attached to off of the wooden hold it rested upon. She then slammed the door shut behind her before running as fast as she could towards the Goshinboku.

How could she be so careless? Who knows how long Inuyasha had been waiting for her? She could only hope that he wouldn't be too angry with her.

Soon enough, she spotted the hanyou reclining against the large tree with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Once he was able to pick up her scent, his eyes opened and flashed mild annoyance.

"Keh! It's not like you to be late," he snorted.

She panted hard, trying to catch her breath after running non-stop for almost a mile. "I-I'm…sorry…" she managed to breathe out, setting her bow down in the ground for added support. "I…I lost…track of t-time…"

The hanyou sighed and stepped forward in order to allow her to rest against him for better comforting support. He wrapped his arms around her body, ignoring the Jewel that was clutched tightly in her hand. "You didn't sleep at all last night, did you?" he murmured in a kinder tone of voice. "Idiot…" Though the last word was partially an insult, the inflection was one of teasing affection.

Kikyou glanced up at his face and offered up a tired smile. "…I had to make sure the Shikon no Tama was in good condition to be used…" she explained. "I'll promise to rest up after this so you won't have to worry too much about my health."

"You better…" Inuyasha grumbled, looking like he wanted to shake his head at her.

Before he could say anything else, the young woman leaned up to kiss his cheek. She was unable to help herself. It was so hard to contain her happiness and anxiousness.

The hanyou pulled back slightly, feeling a light blush spread on his cheeks. "K-Kikyou…"

The young woman kept her smile in place as she finally pulled back the rest of the way. "Did I catch you by surprise?" she teased, feigning the innocence of a child.

"K-Keh! Just get on with it!" Inuyasha huffed, trying to get over his embarrassment. "Who knows how many youkai will come here when you have that thing out in the open."

Kikyou nodded her head, knowing that he had a point. Swallowing down her nervousness, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "Move more towards that open field over there," she instructed, pointing to a clearing surrounded by a cluster of trees.

Inuyasha didn't argue, doing as she asked. "What now?" he questioned, looking at her expectantly.

She didn't speak any words as she approached him. She placed the stone necklace around his neck and placed her fingers upon the glowing pink orb. "Hold still and close your eyes…" she murmured, grabbing his other hand with her own and gripping it tightly. "Try to sync your thoughts with mine."

The miko closed her eyes soon after she saw him do the same. After she knew that he was completely relaxed and feeling her own steady pulse, she directed her thoughts towards the Jewel.

_"Shikon no Tama, please grant me this pure wish. I wish for Inuyasha to become a full human."_

At once, white light began to engulf the pair. Kikyou did well to keep her hand upon the Jewel so it could not become overcome with malice. The young woman watched in awe as Inuyasha's hair began to darken from its bright silver coat into a jet black. The claws and fangs that the hanyou possessed disappeared. The familiar dog ears shrunk down into his skull and morphed into human ones on the side of his head. "Inuyasha…" she gasped as she saw the last of his transformation. His beautiful amber-gold eyes faded into a rich violet shade. The hanyou Inuyasha was no more. All that was left was his human self and she honestly didn't know which side of him was more entrancing to look at.

The miko slowly and cautiously drew back away from the hanyou, taking a better look at his new form. "…You look…so…" she murmured, unable to properly put into words how she felt at the moment.

Inuyasha blinked at her, seeming more surprised by her reaction rather than his newfound appearance. Since he turned human once a month, the form was obviously not new for him to experience.

The young woman prepared to say something until she noticed his sudden grimace. "Inuyasha? Is something wrong?" she questioned before noticing the Shikon no Tama's intense glow growing into the brightest white before darkening into a deep shade of blood crimson.

"…I-Is this normal…?" he asked, reaching his hand up to touch the necklace around his neck, only to draw away with a hiss as if he were repelled by an invisible barrier. "…It's hot!"

Kikyou's face paled, reaching her hand out to touch the Shikon no Tama only to retract it immediately. The aura around it burned with a fierce evil. "…I-I don't understand this! The Jewel was pure… there was no evil aura around it before I made the wish!" she choked out, desperately thinking of a way to remove the necklace from the hanyou's neck before it could harm him even more. Reaching behind her, she took out an arrow and channeled her powers into the tip before pressing it towards the Shikon no Tama. To their horror, the Jewel even repelled this energy, cutting her fingers in the process as the arrow splintered in half.

Inuyasha yelped out in pain as the Jewel began to burn across his flesh and tear away at his clothing. "D-damn this thing!" he cursed, trying to move but was frozen to the ground like he was trapped by a large stone over his feet.

Kikyou noticed that the natural sunlight they had was beginning to fade. Glancing up, she found that the sky above them had filled with ominous clouds and began to darken like a storm was about to brew. Suddenly, a deep violet light began to surround her body and she felt herself being drawn towards the Jewel against her own volition.

A dark laugh sounded through her head as she was drawn closer to the tainted orb.

"_Did you honestly think I would let you get away with that so easily?"_

She paled as white as a ghost. Where was the voice coming from? A chill ran up her spine. "I-Inuyasha!" she shouted in a panic, wondering if he could also hear the voice.

"K-Kikyou!" the young man yelled back, sounding just as horrified as she was.

_"Such gullible fools…! Now I'll get to show you your real reward for your fruitful efforts!" _The voice was malicious and taunting.

Soon her vision blurred as the evil light engulfed her and began to strangle the energy out of her body. Before her eyes completely failed her, she managed to see the now human Inuyasha become sucked into the Jewel like water into an endless void. Before all went to black, she only heard the young man's scream echo through her mind.

"KIKYOU…!"

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><p>AN: Yep… a cliff-hanger on the first chapter. I'm horrible.

I'm honestly not sure how often I'll update this with everything else going on. And if you're a reader of my other fics, I do plan on updating those when I get the inspiration for them.

I decided to write this plot because I wanted to present an alternate tragedy for the couple. Since the Shikon no Tama basically used Naraku as a tool, who's to say that the dark side of the Jewel wouldn't also doom whoever was crazy enough to wish on it?

For those who are wondering, "onee-sama" is a respectful way of addressing your older sister. "Hanyou" obviously means "half-demon," "youkai," means "full-demon" and the "Shikon no Tama" means the "Shikon Jewel." I'm going to continue using Japanese terms like this throughout the fic so please bear with me.

For future chapters, I'm planning to alternate between points of view for Inuyasha and Kikyou so I hope you can keep up. I also hope that people will enjoy this since there hasn't really been that many new Inu/Kik fics out on this site in a long time.

What happens next time? Stay tuned until the next chapter!

Please review!

Ja ne!


	2. Chapter 2: Lost in Paradise

**Disclaimer: **

I'm glad that people are enjoying this fic so far! Woo~! Thanks for the reviews!

I thank: TrueWielderofTessaiga, KaosuSaku, JaNnY-jEaH-jAcY, YukiKagome, and InuKikfan4ever!

Inuyasha is not own by me. Rumiko Takahashi owns him.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2: Lost in Paradise<span>**

Suffocating blackness.

Silence.

A dim voice called his name, breaking the pattern.

"_Inuyasha_…"

The voice was female and familiar. Was it… Kikyou…?

Heavy eyes slowly opened as if stones were being lifted from them. He felt like he was made entirely of rock, unable to move and feeling as if something had hit him at breakneck speed. He hurt like hell and wasn't even sure why.

"Inuyasha…?"

Refocusing his vision, blurs turned into a familiar shape. Above him, he saw the brown eyes he knew so well. "Kikyou? Is that you…?" he asked, withholding a grimace. Why did his body hurt so much? Did he get in a fight with a youkai earlier?

Kikyou appeared relieved, giving him a gracious smile. "I'm so glad you're awake," she remarked. "I was worried you wouldn't wake up." She had him laid in her lap with her arms around him.

Inuyasha slowly began to sit up, dog-ears flickering. Wait. Dog ears? Wasn't he supposed to be human now? He cautiously looked around at his surroundings, trying not to make any sudden jerks of his neck. The forest was still there. It was day time and he could hear the birds chirping like it were any other day.

The woman blinked at him like she was confused with his behavior. "Did you forget what happened?" she questioned, moving back to give him some space.

He nodded. "…Didn't you make a wish on the Shikon no Tama?" he pressed, trying to find the words to speak.

Kikyou shook her head slowly, appearing sad. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought…" She sighed. "The wish didn't work… The jewel's powers backfired and sent you into a tree."

Dammit! Was that _really_ what happened? So the wish didn't go through at all? He let out a small growl. "…So where is the thing?" He was frustrated with this entire situation. He remembered feeling like the Jewel was burning him but everything after it seemed like one big blur.

The young woman frowned. "Well… somehow it still disappeared. It's just that you're still hanyou. I'm not sure what's going on."

Letting out a deep breath, he finally rose to his feet and turned towards her. "…Well, if the Jewel's gone, that's what matters, right?"

Kikyou didn't argue. She looked up at him and smiled. "I suppose so…There's nothing more for me to guard…"

"…Save the village, right?" he added.

He expected her to nod in agreement. However, to his confusion, she only shook her head.

"The village?" she echoed, frowning slightly. "I thought we agreed to live together, Inuyasha… Just the _two_ of us."

Inuyasha was caught off guard by this. He turned to face her completely. What did she mean by that? She was abandoning her duties as a miko? He knew she didn't want to always be their guardian, but she knew it was something she needed to do. "This seems unlike you, Kikyou…" he could only say.

She frowned more. "I told you that I wanted to live as an ordinary woman. An ordinary woman shouldn't have to keep watch over a village," she explained as if it was common sense. "Besides, haven't you always wanted my company on a constant basis?" She smiled, but her eyes glimmered with a hidden twinge of darkness. It was as if she were hiding a secret he didn't yet know about.

"Well, yeah, obviously I'd like to spend more time with you…" he admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly. He was honestly surprised at how easy the words came out of his mouth. Usually, it would take him a lot of struggling to get him to say something like that out loud. "But, your village still needs you… You should at least find a replacement so they're not torn apart by youkai."

She let out a chuckle, sounding as if his serious concerns only amused her. "Oh, Inuyasha…" she murmured, moving up to him and gently grabbing onto his haori sleeves. "Let's just stay here… There's no need to go back there."

He felt a chill run up his spine. Something wasn't right here. "B-but what about your sister?"

"Kaede can fend for herself," Kikyou remarked, tightening her hold around his arms. "You said it yourself. You wanted to live with me for the rest of your life…" Her smile widened. "I'm granting you that wish. It'll just be the two of us here. _Forever_…"

A loud wind then blew through the area as the familiar forest around them changed shape into a field of dead corpses. It appeared like a large battle ground with dead samurai and youkai were scattered about the barren area. The sky around them darkened into a black mass.

That was _definitely _not normal.

"Isn't it peaceful here, Inuyasha? We can spend our lives here together…" Kikyou's smile no longer looked innocent. It began to twist into a grotesque form as her arms tightened around him, locking him in place.

This was _not _Kikyou.

"W-who the hell are you?" Inuyasha growled out, trying to find his bearings as he began to struggle in her grasp. It took all of his willpower not to sound horrified when all he truly felt was that very emotion.

The so-called "woman" began to change shape, levitating in the air as her legs transformed into a single snake's tail. Her eyes narrowed into eerie green slits, looking much like cats eyes in the daylight. Her once pale skin morphed into turquoise scales that began to line her body, replacing her clothing. Her hands developed claws and began to dig into Inuyasha's flesh, causing him to grimace.

His eyes narrowed, feeling anger replace his panic. He was tricked by this bastard! It had the gull to pretend it was Kikyou in order to kill him! A low growl escaped him as he resisted even more, finally finding the strength to head-butt the youkai hard against its forehead and catch it off guard. He was satisfied when its grip loosened, allowing him to jump away from his opponent. "Where the hell is Kikyou?" he demanded, cracking his knuckles.

"She's with _us_, Inuyasha…" the youkai answered with a twisted grin, the voice turning into the cross between a feminine hiss and a cats purr. "I wonder if you'll ever be able to find her…?"

"Tell me where she is, dammit!" he yelled, getting more panicked by the second. If this was happening to him, he couldn't even imagine what Kikyou was going through! Did she even have her weapons with her? "Where the fuck am I?"

Instead of getting a verbal answer, the setting dissolved again. All around him was complete blackness, save for the liquid crimson that began to drip down from all sides of them and began to pool under his feet. He couldn't tell if it was real blood or fake. He honestly didn't want to know.

"You haven't figured it out yet, hanyou?" the youkai taunted before laughing darkly. "Or maybe, I should call you _human_…?"

"'Human'?" Inuyasha echoed before looking down to see that his claws were gone. His strength never seemed to leave, making the change very unlike his moonless nights. It then hit him. He never had the strength of a hanyou to begin with. Like the image of Kikyou, his hanyou form was also an illusion ever since he woke up. His eyes widened. "…I-I'm inside of the Shikon no Tama?" he gasped. The wish worked after all!

"For using that head of yours, I'll show you the prize you'll get," the youkai taunted.

Out of the blackness, dozens of bright golden orbs revealed themselves, pair by pair. They almost seemed like tiny candles getting lit up in fast procession. The red around Inuyasha's feet morphed into blue tendrils curling around his legs. His face paled once he realized the lights were not lights at all. They were the eyes of hundreds of youkai staring directly at him as if he were going to become the main course of their feast.

Inuyasha could only say the one thing that came to his mind at a time like this. "Fuck!" he cursed, immediately kicking at the tendrils that curled up his hakama. "Get the hell off of me!" Soon after, groups of five dove into the scenery, being illuminated by unseen light so that Inuyasha could get full glimpses of their grotesque forms. These demons were not your average youkai. Many of them appeared to be half rotting and malnourished. Some of them had rotting flesh hanging off of their bodies and showed bones. The smell of rotting corpses was strong enough for him to smell even in his human form. And of course, worst of all was the fact that their forms gave away just how desperate they were for a new food source.

For the first few rounds of youkai, he did well enough to punch and kick them back from him. Since he had no sharp weapons to use and no claws, all he could do was push them away from his body. He knew he couldn't inflict enough damage to kill any of them, nor did he have enough strength to throw them a long distance away. The more he pushed back, the more they advanced upon him as the same youkai turned back towards him in addition with the new waves that came.

It was the first time in his young life that he _wished _that he was a hanyou. At least in his hanyou form, these youkai would be no trouble to him to kill. Now, he struggled just to get one youkai away from him. He was already out of breath. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out!

A conglomerate of voices spoke to him within his mind. _"Give in to us, Inuyasha!"_

The young man stubbornly continued to fight, panting hard as he kept burning his energy. "Fuck no!" he yelled back. "T-tell me… where K-Kikyou is!"

_"You'll never find her!" _the voices replied, laughing in his head.

The hanyou cursed again. He knew that if he kept going with this, he would collapse with exhaustion. Pushing one last youkai away from him, he broke through a path and took off in a run. He had no clue where he was going. All he knew was that he just needed to get away from them and find his way to Kikyou. He ran in no particular direction, only seeing the darkest hue of black in front of him. He could feel the youkais' eyes on his back, chasing after him and lusting for his flesh.

His feet only hit black ground, almost feeling like he was flying through the air since he couldn't see anything around him. And then it happened. Out of nowhere, he began to fall. He was unable to predict the sudden drop off. Was he honestly going to die from this? Out of all the things, a _fall_? Looking down, he idly wondered if there were sharp rocks ready to impale him. Would he honestly die without seeing Kikyou again?

However, at the bottom was a bright spot of light. As gravity pulled him down further, he noticed the blackness began to dissolve into pure white before he finally hit the ground. Once he could move again, he was shocked at the fact that he was able to move at all! He felt like he took a fall from the top of a mountain and yet there were no broken bones or bruises from the drop. The scenery changed again, now presenting a forest covered in dark, ominous mist. The white only seemed to be the entrance through a barrier.

"…What the hell is up with this place?" he growled, feeling disoriented with the constant change of location. He was still exhausted and hurt from running and fighting. Yet, he knew he couldn't sleep until he knew Kikyou was okay. Sucking in a deep breath, he only hoped that he wouldn't have to deal with anymore youkai for a while. He began to slowly walk forward again, glad that he could at least see the grass under his feet. Calling out, he hoped for an answer. "Kikyou! Are you here?"

Nothing but the wind answered him.

How the hell was he supposed to know where to go? Were they even able to get out of this damn place? Were they already …_dead_? He paused, his eyes widening. Was Kikyou dead? He then mentally hit himself. No! He couldn't afford to assume the worst now. He needed to find her!

He continued to walk through the forest, noticing how purple the sky was. It was as if the entire area was covered with miasma yet the plants were still able to survive from it. He noticed that he could breathe just fine. He supposed he should have been thankful for at least that. "Kikyou!" he called out again. The more he glanced around, the more eerie the place became. Though the leaves still clung to the branches, there was clearly no sign of life. There were no animals and no sunlight. There wasn't even the sound of running water. All he could hear was the wind and the sound of his own breathing. He was sure that if he dropped a coin, it would have been easily heard from leagues away.

How the hell did everything go so wrong? Didn't Kikyou do everything right? The wish was able to turn him human but the Shikon no Tama backfired somehow. Did the Jewel have a mind of its own? How did they not even notice this possibility? There were so many unanswered questions. It drove him insane! God damn it all to hell!

It took all of his pride not to just scream out in anguish and frustration. Sure, he was able to fend for himself. He'd done it most of his life. He had felt helpless before and had seen the face of death too many times to count. But this… _this_ was on an entirely new scale. He couldn't even comprehend the level of hopelessness he felt at the moment. He didn't know what to do except walk. He had no clue where he was walking towards. He could have been walking in the wrong direction for all he knew! He didn't even know if the person he was looking for even existed any longer!

After walking for what seemed like hours, the young man's body couldn't take it anymore. He pushed himself way beyond the boundaries of what a human body was capable of. At once, his legs buckled and gave out, causing him to fell onto his face in the dirt. Inuyasha used all of his strength to roll over onto his back and stare up at the bleak sky. There weren't even any stars to be seen; just endless mist reflecting back death.

He knew that if it wasn't for his desperation to find Kikyou at the moment, he would have already given up by now. He lived enough of a miserable life. The one moment he finally found happiness with another person, it was ripped away from him by unforeseen circumstances. Couldn't he ever get a break? He knew it wasn't like him to pity himself like this, but it was hard to stop the dark thoughts from invading his mind. Honestly, as long as Kikyou was safe and well, he didn't really care if he died right on the spot.

Inuyasha let out a long breath, almost inviting death to take him. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly, too exhausted to move but in too much pain to even think of sleeping. He knew that in such a weak form, healing wouldn't come to him for at least a week. Every inch of him was sore. He didn't know if he could even stand upright at the moment.

He hated how weak he had become. It wasn't just physical weakness, but mental weakness as well. Was he always so mentally fragile? Would one thing be the event that would make him go insane? God, he had no clue he was this fucked up in the head. He growled out loud. He had to get ahold of himself!

Why hadn't he given up yet? As much as his body cried out for him to do so, he still wanted to keep going. Was he this much of an idiot? Did he really care about Kikyou that much?

Of course he did. There was no doubt about that. He could even admit that he possibly _loved _her. Though, it wasn't like anyone could convince him to say that much out loud. He just needed to know if she was okay. If only just that much, he would be relieved.

"…I can't just sit here and wait…" he said out loud, slowly rotating onto his side so he could use his arms to prop himself onto his knees. He cringed, sucking in a breath as he tried to fight off the pricking agony of added pressure to his various body parts. He hadn't remembered the last time he hurt this badly.

Once he got to his feet, he moved over towards a tree to lean against it. Using multiple trees as leverage and moving between them, he slowly struggled forward on uneasy legs. Each step was like taking stabs from knives through his legs. Even his arms burned like fire were licking them. "D-dammit!" he groaned out, pausing to let out panting breaths. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. He could cause himself to die before even reaching her!

But no, he wasn't going to give up. He had never given up surviving and he wasn't going to start now! He wouldn't stop pressing forward until he dropped over dead. He wasn't going to fail himself or fail Kikyou.

Somehow, just _somehow_… he would find his way to her!

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><p>AN: Wow, this update was fairly quick compared to my other stories. Haha.

Sorry this is a bit depressing, but I promise there will be happier parts in the future! This chapter was a challenge for me to write because it was all a one-take scene to write out in one person's POV.

Next chapter: Will Inuyasha find Kikyou? What is she up to?

Please review!

Ja ne!


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion in Hell

**Disclaimer****:**

Yay! Thanks so much for all of the kind reviews!

I thank these reviewers: TrueWielderofTessaiga, rays, InuKikfan4ever, Fanficfemale, Organic Donut with SPRINKLES, Freakish Nature, and Girls in White Dresses!

I'm really sorry that I've neglected this fic for a year. Between writer's block and personal life issues, it was near impossible for me to come up with something for this plot. Hopefully that will change in the coming weeks.

Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha; not me.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Reunion in Hell<strong>

Wake up.

Wake up, Kikyou.

_Wake up_.

At once, the miko's eyes shot open. The sensation of a rock on her chest seemed to alleviate as soon as she could make sense of the trees and sunlight around her. Where was she?

"K-Kikyou!" It was a familiar voice. It was filled with dread.

"I-Inuyasha?" she spoke, sitting up as fast as she possibly could. She looked across from herself, seeing the hanyou clutching at the necklace with horror reflecting in his eyes.

"T-this thing feels hot!" he added, trying in vain to remove it from his body. He yanked and pulled in every which way but it was more like a noose tightening around his neck. "I-I can't take it off!"

Kikyou's eyes widened. Fear seized her heart. Was this really happening? Didn't they only wish for Inuyasha to become human? She reached for the bow and arrow that lay at her side. Did a blast from the jewel knock her out and show her a premonition? Her gut twisted into knots as she channeled her powers into an arrow and aimed it at the glass orb that was now shining with dark purple and black swirls. Unfortunately, as soon as she drove it towards the Shikon Jewel, it thwarted her back a few feet. She couldn't reach him! "Inuyasha!" she shouted, feeling powerless to stop what was happening to the hanyou.

Inuyasha's body began to grow a bright red as if the depths of Hell were feeding into his flesh. His shouts of pain gave way to animalistic growls. The once gold eyes rolled to the back of his head until they shown with a blood-red intensity. His claws sharpened and ragged purple stripes ripped across his cheeks. The hanyou that Kikyou once knew was no longer there.

"I-Inuyasha…!" she gasped out, trying to stand firm but felt quakes down to her inner core. A shiver ran down her spine when his eyes focused in on her. There was no look of concern or love for her. All she could see reflected back in those dark depths was a canine hunger and amusement at her obvious fear of him.

Once his body stopped glowing, he made a step towards her. Even his way of walking had transformed. Each step was a long stride made almost resembling the type of walk a monster had when he was going in for the kill and knew he would win. "Kikyou…" he murmured, his voice now very coarse. The corner of his lips twitched up into a sadistic smile. "You walked right into it, just as I expected… It's thanks to you that I can enjoy this full-youkai form I've been seeking."

"W-what…?" Kikyou choked out, feeling as if he had just slapped her hard across the face. As if her body had a mind of its own, she began to slowly back away from him in small steps. "Y-you c-can't be serious…"

"Foolish pathetic human…" Inuyasha spat, his eyes full of disgust at her form. "Did you honestly think that I'd fall in love with _you_?"

"E-everything you said to me was a _lie_?!" Kikyou shouted back, her heart beginning to crack apart. Feelings of betrayal and anger welled up in her chest, beginning to override her fear. Her grip on the bow impulsively grew tighter. "Y-you told me that you wished to be human; that you wanted to live a normal life with me!"

"You really thought I'd give up all of my powers for a foolish woman like you? You make a living out of destroying half of what I am…" He almost chuckled, quickly correcting himself. "I mean, _all _of what I am now…"

"You never meant any word?" Kikyou asked almost as if to ask for confirmation. She didn't want to believe any of this! Surely this wasn't the real Inuyasha?

Inuyasha's smirk grew wider. "Remember the first night I saw you? It was on my human night…" he began. "You had just destroyed a horde of youkai and dropped over from exhaustion… I had never been so disgusted in my life. A woman who walks through the spilled blood of youkai, reeks of youkai guts, and yet parades herself around like a made-up doll for her villagers to worship…"

"…Y-you…you…" Kikyou could only bite out, feeling bile rise up in the back of her throat. How had she been so foolish?

"…And I decided to myself that I would enjoy gaining your trust before I slaughtered you just like how you killed those youkai…" he added, his mouth cracked into an all-out sinister grin now. His sharp canines glimmered in the sunlight, emphasizing how much more like a monster he had become.

Kikyou felt like screaming. Crying. Running. However, she didn't want to give Inuyasha; no…this _beast _the satisfaction of seeing her fear or sadness. She was a proud miko and she would not die in this way! "…If that's how you truly feel about me then…" She placed an arrow in her bow and pulled back on the string. "Prepare yourself, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha chuckled in amusement. "Showing your true colors, eh, Kikyou?" he mocked. "I wonder if part of you gets excited knowing that you could have my blood on your hands?"

Kikyou scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "You disgust me," she spat back. "Aren't you the one who lusts after striking me down?"

"Hn…I suppose you have a good point there," the youkai conceded. "I'm only wasting my time talking to prey." Laughing darkly, he began to charge. "Die!" His knuckles cracked as he raised his claws in her direction.

The miko steeled her heart, knowing that her arrow would very well be a final blow if it hit him in the right spot. Channeling her energy, she watched the arrow glow a bright pink before finally releasing it and allowing fate to take over.

It was as if the world had slowed down. Kikyou's heart betrayed her mind, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks as she watched the arrow take a direct hit into Inuyasha's chest. The youkai dropped over onto his back, struggling in vain to remove the painful arrow from his body but couldn't even touch it due to its purifying power.

"D-damn bitch!" Inuyasha growled, coughing up blood and allowing his arms to drop to his sides.

Kikyou couldn't help herself. The bow dropped where she stood as she rushed over to his side. "…I-Inuyasha…" she choked out. "…F-forgive me…" Something inside compelled her to speak those words to him. Even if he truly hated her and wanted to kill her, she couldn't return those same emotions. Like it or not, she still held feelings for him.

To make matters worse, Inuyasha's body began to glow once more. The red eyes that Kikyou grew to despise reverted back into its normal golden state as his purple stripes faded into his skin. Soon enough, she was looking into the eyes of the hanyou she had grown to care for. "…I-Inuyasha…" One of her tears dropped onto his cheek and slid down like rain. Seeing him like this caused unwanted guilt to well up in her heart. She had just sentenced him to death.

He glared up at her despite the obvious pain he was in. "You must really hate me now, don't you?" he taunted. "Your tears are a waste."

Kikyou shook her head despite inner conflicting turmoil. "I could never hate you…" she admitted softly. "I know you must see me as a bitter fool..."

_But you despise his youkai heart, don't you? You fear it. Just now, you shot at him because you feared him killing you. _

What was this? The voice sounded through her mind, making Kikyou almost reel. She shook her head quickly. She didn't hate Inuyasha!

_Admit it; that's why you wished for him to become human! You couldn't stand knowing that you were with a hanyou! You knew that if he were a human, no one would judge you!_

That wasn't true at all! She never cared about what other people thought of her relationships with whom she associated. But then… why did she hide her care for Onigumo from everyone else? Was that one of the reasons why she didn't tell anyone in her village? Was part of wanting Inuyasha human selfish in a shallow way? Surely, she didn't ask him in order to make him "normal"! Was that what Inuyasha really thought of her? The thoughts swarming through her mind was enough to make her whimper out loud.

_You never loved him, Kikyou. You only wanted a normal life and he was the stepping stone to that life… He was going to become your picture perfect human husband for your fantasy family. _

Kikyou's eyes narrowed at the voice inside of her head. Thinking back to the moments she shared with Inuyasha, she realized that she never once had the intention to use him. If he had no desire to become human for her, she wouldn't have insisted on it again.

Peering down at the hanyou again, Inuyasha coughed up more blood. "You're such an idiot…" he murmured as if reading into her mind.

The thoughts in her mind continued to flow.

_Your intentions for him were completely selfish, Kikyou. You're not as pure a miko as you think. _

The miko shook her head. She honestly never wanted people to view her as pure. She was only human just like the rest of them! Of course, she took her work seriously and never spited others because of her fate, but she wished that people looked upon her as a normal human being.

Human being…_human_…

An image of Inuyasha's human form flashed through her mind. She had seen it before? His violet eyes and black hair…

The more she thought back, she began to see an entirely different scenario pace itself out in her mind. "…Inuyasha…the Shikon no Tama made you _human_…" she spoke out in an even pace. She stood up from beside the hanyou and took a step backwards.

Instead of making a blatant denial, Inuyasha began to sit up with the arrow still lodged in his chest. "Oh, so you were able to see that disgusting form?" he remarked before coughing again.

It was his overly harsh words that hit her the hardest. The man in front of her was not Inuyasha. He never was Inuyasha to begin with. The voice inside of her mind didn't belong to her either. She now knew where she was.

Going back towards where the bow was, she picked it up and notched an arrow into it. However, instead of aiming it at the "hanyou" in front of her, she pointed it towards the sky. "Shikon no Tama! Release your hold over me!" Her voice grew stronger with each word, the conviction in her tone unwavering.

The "hanyou" gave a loud laugh, the arrow in his chest melting away as he stood up. His voice began to morph into a deeper, more sinister register. "You're quite a smart miko. I thought it'd take until you were half dead before you would figure it out," the being chuckled before Inuyasha's body flickered away to reveal a large grotesque lizard youkai. The red scales formed over the skin, complete with a long tail that flicked out towards Kikyou's feet in an effort to trip her.

"You…bastard!" Kikyou hissed, sidestepping the cheap shot and aiming the arrow at the youkai. Though, before she could release the arrow, her archery set disappeared. It vanished into thin air as if it were never there to begin with. "Damn!" she cursed, trying to figure out what else she could use against the youkai. "Where's Inuyasha?!"

"That pathetic human?" the youkai snorted. "He's probably long dead by now… You should give up on him!" it added before charging towards her with claws outstretched. "You're going to be next!"

Sucking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and held out her hands. Channeling her energy, she felt the warmth flow into her palms and push back the youkai. She heard the beast screech in agony and by the time her eyes opened, the lizard youkai was a purified pile of ash.

Was it true? Was Inuyasha truly dead? She shook her head. She didn't want to believe it! Now that she knew that the Jewel had tricked her, she wanted to know where Inuyasha was. She wanted to see him. Had he become trapped in this Jewel with her? And as a human? Would he be able to fend for himself against the youkai? Oh Gods…

Before she could gather her bearings, she soon found herself surrounded on all sides by youkai. The bright and sunny forest she was familiar with began to warp into a dark and misty unfamiliar wood. All of the trees around her were dead and even the ground she stood on was barren of any life. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, not wanting to show any of the fear she felt. Reaching into her haori, she grabbed onto a specific slip of paper and readied herself.

As soon as the youkai began their charge, Kikyou pulled out the paper and held it in front of her face. After uttering a small prayer, the talisman glowed with spiritual power before it was aimed at a small group. Though it was nothing like the amount of power she held when she used her bow and arrows, it was still enough to purify two youkai and hurt a third. Without pausing, she used another talisman and destroyed a few more of the creatures.

Even though she was able to fight off the creatures for the moment, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold out forever. Just to prove her theory correct, she felt a shard incision in her side. Looking down, she saw a youkai's claws dig into her flesh and it took all of her strength not to cry out in pain. Gritting her teeth, she placed her palm in the face of the youkai and turned him into ash.

Minutes of fighting turned into hours. She thought back to the fight that caused Kaede to lose her eye. This battle was worse because unlike that time, she had no support. She was outright panting with scratches and bruises all over her body. The right side of her haori was stained with her blood, making the pure white turn into pink. "S-show me where Inuyasha is!" she shouted, desperately trying not to waver. She had to see him!

Her words were met with collective cackling from her audience. Kikyou knew that if she stayed put destroying youkai for the rest of the night, she wouldn't live to see the next day. That was, _if _there was such a thing as a "next day" in this warped Jewel. Steadying herself, she began to push her way through the remnants of the demon horde and mustered as much strength as she could to make a run for it. Each time a youkai made a charge for her back, she would turn on her heel and blast them back with her powers. It didn't help that she had long since ran out of talismans so all that was left to her was her own body.

After a while of running, she noticed how the attacks seemed to lessen in intensity. Eventually, the remaining youkai fell away, leaving behind an exhausted and injured Kikyou. She was too tired and distracted with her pain and thoughts of Inuyasha to give any concern as to why they retreated. She just hoped that they wouldn't return any time soon. Letting out a deep, shaky breath, she looked around at her surroundings. All she could see was endless stretches of misty forest at every turn. She didn't know if she was caught in some never ending circle or if the land really did go on forever. She only continued to move forward in a straight path to nowhere.

Once another hour passed, she was unable to go on any further. She wandered over to the nearest large tree and fell to her knees in front of it. Stabilizing herself, she got into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes in deep concentration. Raising her hands into a prayer formation in front of her face, she uttered a few chants before a transparent blue barrier formed above her body. Though she would be stuck in the spot for a while, it was enough to allow her to be protected for the time being.

She frowned, thinking to herself once more. She hated how easily the Jewel got to her. It made her question why she asked Inuyasha to become human. Even worse is that it made her think of how easy it was to kill him. If he had honestly betrayed her, would she do it again? Would she even be able to withstand that type of heartbreak? There had to be some reason why the Shikon no Tama was doing this.

Was Inuyasha suffering in the same way? Did he see the same type of illusions? Was he even alive? How would they even be able to find each other? She felt the guilt begin to overcome her countenance, almost breaking her concentration. If she had brought her thoughts up to Inuyasha, they would have never been caught in the Shikon Jewel in the first place! She really had been such a naïve fool. As the Shikon no Miko, she should have known better that there was no such thing as a perfect wish. Almost every wish, though seeming selfless, had selfish implications.

Even if she saw Inuyasha again, what could she say to him? Would an apology be enough for him to forgive her? Did he hate her now? She didn't even want to imagine that.

Though, what if that youkai was right? Was he even alive? What if he was already dead and all she would be looking for was a corpse? Her concentration almost broke again. Even though it would be the Jewel's doing, it would also indirectly be her fault. After all, he was human now. She had nearly died fighting the youkai so she could only imagine how badly Inuyasha had it. She couldn't bear the thought of a group of demons ripping his body apart.

Kikyou breathed easily when she found that the powers of her barriers still worked. Small groups of youkai passed by her barrier and didn't stop to notice her. Honestly, where could Inuyasha hide even if he did manage to escape the youkai? He wasn't able to produce a barrier or cloak himself like she could. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to cry again. It'd honestly be the miracle of the gods if Inuyasha was still walking around.

She cringed again, looking down at her bleeding wound. The blood had managed to leak through her haori and began to drip onto the grass. Careful not to move too much within the barrier, she slowly removed her haori and opened up the upper half of her hadajuban. She was thankful not to feel any cold chill of air on her skin from the dead air in the forest. She glanced down on her chest and saw the bruises and cuts. She knew that those wounds would hurt more later, and only grew heavily concerned with the long cut made across the right side of her belly. It started at the hip and curved around, almost reaching her belly button. Luckily for her, the cut wasn't too deep and the blood trickling out only made the wound look worse than what it actually was.

Steeling herself for what was to come, she ripped off part of the left sleeve of her haori into wide strips. Sucking in a deep breath, she pressed a strip against her wound and bit back the urge to hiss in pain. She dabbed at the cut, trying to clean the blood off of her skin as best as she could. It was hard without any water around. Sweat gathered on her brow as she was trying to concentrate hard on keeping her barrier from completely dissolving while she dressed her wounds. It was exhausting work for someone who was already tired from battle. Tying the strips of cloth around her waist, she managed to tie the strips up tight and knew that she had to keep her future movements to a minimum if she wanted to heal properly. Once she was able to put her clothes back on, she resumed her prayer stance to strengthen her barrier. The wall had grown weaker since she had to move around.

_Poor miko… forced to be wandering around alone while her lover could be dead somewhere else…_

The voice of the Jewel whom she had grown to hate returned to her conscious. "Leave me be," she grit out with her eyes squeezed shut.

_You believe that his death would be your fault, correct? Well I will assure you that you are right to believe that… It doesn't matter if you destroyed that mere illusion… You sentenced him to death either way! Neither of you have an escape from this place. _

So even if Inuyasha _was _dead, it wouldn't make a difference? Was that the point that the Jewel was trying to make? As soon as they were both sucked into the depths, they were already cursed for an eternity of suffering?

_Feel guilty, Kikyou. Your selfishness caused his pain. _

Kikyou shook her head, her barrier rippling slightly because of her break in concentration. She hated how right the Jewel was. She couldn't deny that much. Hasn't she herself been thinking that all along? Her suggestion to make Inuyasha human was why they were caught in this mess in the first place.

It was during these thoughts that she noticed a familiar shape appear from beyond her barrier. Once the shadow moved closer, she could see that it was the man she was hoping to see. She nearly dissolved the barrier right then, but then dread soon seized her heart. How did she know that this was not another trick?

"Kikyou!" His voice called out to her desperate and tired. It sounded like he had been looking for her for what had to have been days.

It seemed very much how she would expect Inuyasha to be but she couldn't be sure. After what happened to her before, she didn't want to take any more chances. She decided to stay in her barrier and watch him search for her; observing his behavior.

She heard him growl to himself, walking past where she was located. He was unable to see her just like the other youkai.

"I want to get out of this damn Jewel!" Inuyasha cursed, stopping in his tracks and showing her the obvious pain he was in. His steps were slow and strained. It was as if each twitch of his body made him feel an enormous amount of agony that made him nearly struggle for breath. "…Where the hell could she be?"

Kikyou's concentration wavered for the final time before the barrier dissolved and she stood up. As soon as he turned towards her, she fought every instinct that told her to run towards him and help him stand. Instead, she kept her distance, her expression hardened. "Prove to me that you're Inuyasha," she ordered out coldly.

She saw the young man's eyes widen, taking an impulsive step towards her. "K-Kikyou? I-Is that really you?" he gasped out before cringing and clutching at his abdomen. "Dammit!" he hissed, obviously struggling to keep on his feet.

The young miko took her own impulsive step forward but didn't move any more afterwards. "I won't fall for such trickery again…"

Inuyasha let out another curse. "The Shikon Jewel did the same thing to you, too?" he managed to grit out between clenched teeth as he tried to breathe the pain away. "I-I've walking around this forest for god knows how fuckin' long and-!" He cut himself off with a "gah!" sound as he fell back against a nearby tree trunk to prevent himself from dropping over. His feet betrayed him, showing her that he couldn't move much on his own. "This wouldn't be so damn hard if I had my normal healing capabilities…"

Kikyou couldn't help but slightly cringe at his last sentence. If this was the real Inuyasha, those words stung hard. It was her fault that he was in such a horrible condition. Seeing him in such pain was too much for her to take in. "I-Inuyasha…" she began, trying to find the right words to say. Her hardened resolve began to crumble like a temple in ruin. "Your wounds…"

"Keh!" he snorted as per usual whenever she pointed out the obvious. She knew that he would have said something brash if he was a hanyou. "A-are you okay?" he asked instead, his eyes flashing out of concern for her.

Kikyou sighed and gave a nod. "I've managed to take care of my gravest wound so I will be fine for the time being… You're the one who can barely stand…" she pointed out quietly.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I've been through worse…" he murmured.

"Yes, when you were hanyou and were able to withstand such blows," she countered with a sigh. She made another tear in her haori. "I'll dress your wounds so you won't bleed to death."

Though she expected Inuyasha to argue back, the reaction she got from him was completely unexpected. His eyes widened in what seemed to be horror as he scrambled forward to reach for her. "Kikyou!" he shouted, his voice laced in panic.

The miko immediately put up her guard, but it was already too late. She felt vines from the ground wrap around her ankles and hold her in place. Try as she might, she couldn't move another step forward. Before either of them had the time to react, she felt a sharp pain through her abdomen. She paled significantly when she saw the edge of a vine poking through her haori and felt the trickle of blood run down her chin.

At once, the vines removed themselves from her and she felt the painful rip of the edge move out of her gut. She cried out in agony, too weak to hide her pain as she fell over. She felt life draining from her with each passing second until her face hit the dirt.

As the blackness consumed her consciousness, she faintly heard Inuyasha's frantic screaming of her name and bitterly thought of how she finally knew that it was the real Inuyasha that was with her. With that, Kikyou felt her heart gave its final beat.

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><p>AN: I know, I know… I'm so horrible for giving you guys this evil cliff ending after making you wait so long for an update. Please don't hate me!

Please Review!

Ja ne!


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